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Shawna Smith is Restoring Our Belief in the Biz

It has become rare in the industry today to hear genuine inspiration. There are plenty of talents making inspirational songs, but are they making them because they truly want to relay that message or are they recording simply because they need to add to their catalog. I guess we can't be sure. One thing we are sure of however, is that Shawna Smith means it, and she is the real deal.

Tsunome goes through a unique process when deciding who we feel are quality independent artists to feature on our site. The method consists of our team meeting in a soundproof environment, such as the office or even our vehicles, where we collectively listen to tracks. Upon completion, we all write one word that describes how the artist made us feel. When we listened to Shawna Smith, the unanimous decision was "Inspiration!"

Shawna was born and raised in Olathe KS, where she started honing her craft at a young age. Music was somewhat in the background for her growing up, but it wasn't until she attended college that she and everyone else around her realized that her talent was more than a hobby. We here at Tsunome feel the same, and thought we had to share our feelings with our audience. We got in contact with Shawna and to our delight, she agreed to give us a moment of her time.

Interviewer: How and when did you start making music?

Shawna: I started making and writing music when I was in my second year of college. I loved to sing so I figured maybe I should start writing.

Who were you early inspirations, and how have they changed since Then?

Definitely Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey! They have changed when I really started singing covers and writing my own songs. I feel the artist that inspire me now are Ella Mai, H.E.R., Rhianna and I have to say still Whitney!

If you could work with anybody who would it be?

I would Love to work with Khelani and Chris brown and Lyrica Anderson.

What do you like most about the industry?

I love the energy... ll about music and visuals...getting different ideas from everyone as well.

What do you hate most about the industry?

The judging part.. not everyone in the music industry will like you or your music and that's okay.

What message do you want to send with your music?

My message is to send positive notes and good vibes! Also dealing with relationship and love.. and never to give up your dreams.

What's the biggest challenge you face as an independent artist?

Promoting everything and not really having the fan base you need.

How do you overcome those obstacles?

Just being consistent all the time and keep doing shows and putting music out!

What else would you like your listeners to know about you?

I am a very outgoing fun person! besides being an artist, I live to travel, workout and I also dance!